Changing The World | Rabbi Daniel Glatstein

You want to make a difference in this world? You want to do something where your actions change, literally, the course of history? The Medrash tells us Sara Imeinu went down to Egypt, and she was She took precautions to be very careful in matters of personal sanctity, and through her actions, all Jewish women later in history were able to guard themselves in matters of Kedusha, and in that merit we were redeemed! The Medrash continues: When Yosef went down to Mitzrayim, he was He was faced with a temptation. He overcame the temptation. And in that merit, when the men, the Jewish men later went down to Mitzrayim, they were able to be careful in matters of Arayos, and in that merit we were redeemed. You know, sometimes in life a person says, "I'm just an individual. I'm not that important. I'm not a Rosh Yeshiva. I’m not a Rabbi. What is my role? Your role could be so important, Your actions could change the course of history. If when you're walking down the street one day, you say: “You know what, I'm going to make a difference in this world! I'm going to overcome my temptation, and I'm not going to look!” You have to understand what kind of ripple effect you're going to have! Ramchal writes that just like a person is able to engender and bring Kedusha to themselves, their actions could change their block, their neighborhood, their city, their country, and then the entire world! Through your actions of self-control, you could elevate your neighbors! Even if they didn't see you! The sanctity that you engender by guarding your eyes will elevate the people that live in your house, the people that live on your block, thereby that will have a ripple effect that the people in your neighborhood, they will be elevated in matters of sanctity, and they will elevate the entire Jewish people! It is very possible that through one act of self control, you could literally tilt the scales, and in your merit, you could bring Bracha to all of Klal Yisroel, and that could bring the Geulah. Sarah did it! Yosef did it! You could do it!